This invention relates to the packaging of particularly bag-like articles containing e.g. instant soup ingredients, potato chips, instant tea and many other products. This invention relates not only to products belonging to the foodstuff sector, but to virtually any kind of product, not only bags and packages, but also boxes and any other shape of articles and/or wrappings. This invention generally contemplates the articles being packed into a formation consisting of two adjacent stacks, each article abutting and/or overlapping another article within an outer wrapping or package. The outer wrapping or package preferably being a carton which may be torn apart into two halves, each half separately holding one of the stacks of articles. The articles thus won't have to be rearranged upon opening the carton or the like, but are ready for immediate display, sale and use in this fashion.
A carton containing articles as described above is previously known by EP-A0 704 386. It will be appreciated, that this way of packaging saves a lot of space and thus packing material. As the end portions of the articles are in general very thin and the articles are formed into two stacks with these thin portions in each stack of articles facing and overlapping each other (FIG. 3), such overlapping does not affect the total extension of either formation in the stacking direction, as only the thinner portions of the articles overlap each other.
While such method of packaging generally is considered desirous and convenient as far as for instance, use of available volume and outer packing material, where transport, storage and display are concerned, little thought has been given so far to an advantageous mode of and apparatus for carrying out such packaging. A significant problem is the practical adaption to the need for continuous change of the direction in which the articles are to be stacked in two different kinds of formation, the counting and grouping of both single articles and formations and the transport of such formations to packaging. In particular, so far there is no packaging machine or any suggestion or solution which achieves both a reliable and high packing pace as well as safety of operation for such a method of packaging articles.